What is the difference between primary prevention and risk-reduction techniques?

Risk-reduction techniques equip victims with knowledge, awareness, or self-defense skills to help individuals reduce their own risk (CDC, 2016).

Primary Prevention

Educational sessions are a commonly recognized form of sexual violence prevention work. These sessions often:

address attitudes about sexual assault

look at the impact of gender roles

establish healthy relationships and healthy sexuality

discuss sexual consent

teach how to set and respect personal boundaries

utilize skill-building drills for these topics

Bystander Intervention prevention strategies are often viewed as a form of primary prevention. They seek to change social norms that support sexual violence; they empower men and women to intervene with peers to prevent an assault from occurring (CDC, 2016).

Risk-Reduction Techniques

Risk-reduction techniques focus on potential victims taking precautionary measures to reduce the likelihood of an act of sexual violence.

Comprehensive Strategies

Prevention efforts should ultimately decrease the number of individuals who perpetrate sexual violence and the number of people who are victims.

Individual, relationship, community, and societal factors all influence sexual violence, and comprehensive prevention strategies should address each of these levels. The most common prevention strategies focus on the victim, the perpetrator, or bystanders.

Multiple sessions of adequate length and intensity are needed for educational sessions to be effective. Multiple learning styles and opportunities to practice new skills are also recommended (“Sexual Violence Prevention”).

Prevention and Risk-Reduction at Northwest College

At Northwest College, students are educated about sexual violence and Title IX in First Year Seminar classes, during kick off weekend, during campus-wide sexual violence prevention events, and in the residence halls with multiple programs. For additional risk-reduction skills, students can enroll in Women's Self-Defense and Risk Awareness.